North Beach Start Title Defence with Great Defensive Performance

Round One 

North Beach Sea Eagles 24 Fremantle Roosters 10

By PETER ROWE

Reigning premiers North Beach Sea Eagles got their 2025 NRLWA Fuel to Go and Play season up and running with a hard-fought 24-10 win over the Fremantle Roosters on Saturday, but it wasn’t all plain sailing for the home side on a hot autumn day.

It took 29 minutes at Charles Riley Reserve for the deadlock to be broken, after a high tackle penalty call saw Luke David-Wells Talamaivo slot the points before Brody Whitehead crashed his way across the line on the left edge for the Sea Eagles’ first try of the 2025 season.

With little between the two sides at the break a penalty try after fullback Bailey Millar was tackled without the ball on a kick and chase eight minutes into the second stanza helped to set up the home side’s win.

Photo – Total Sports Photography/Tom Campbell

And as fatigue started to take its toll in the 34 degree heat,  the home side took advantage.

Fortez Williams barged his way across the line to give the Roosters hope, but a penalty on 61 minutes  pushed the margin to eight points before new Sea Eagles stand off Riley Hextell showed his class, bouncing past defenders to open his account for his new club.

The Jeremy Wallace – Hextell partnership in the halves gave the home side the edge for much of the second half as Keegan Laursen’s four-pointer 10 minutes from time edged them closer to an opening day win.

Photo – Total Sports Photography/Tom Campbell

Brandon White scored in the corner to add some respectability to the margin six minutes from time as both sides ended the game with 12 men after Laursen and Bjorn Crotty traded blows in an end of the game melee that saw referee Ben Grainger given no option but to send both men to the sheds.

“I couldn’t fault our effort,” Fremantle coach Duane Butler said.

“We lost Onisimo Tagicakibau early with an HIA that disrupted my interchange a bit and winger Danny Tangaroa with a dislocated finger, a few things didn’t go our way.

Photo – Total Sports Photography/Tom Campbell

“We were in the grind for 60 to 65 minutes and then we let them get away.”

But overall there was a lot of positives to take from the game.”

North Beach coach Phil Douche was happy with what he saw from his side, adding though, there was still work to be done.

“It was the first game so there were errors from both sides,” Douche said.

“A tight contest, rusty for the first game  – but that is to be expected.”

“Jeremy (Wallace) and Riley (Hextell) worked well together and Bailey (Millar) was given freedom to do what he does best.

“Brody Whitehead had a solid game and Mackenzie Martin was strong in the forwards.”